Sunderland priest gives Pope Leo football jersey

The Sunderland AFC chaplain has given Pope Leo a football jersey ahead of the club's return to the Europa League.

Father Marc Lyden-Smith, who has travelled to the Vatican with other pilgrims from the north-east of England, presented the pontiff with the custom red and white strip which had "Pope Leo, 14" emblazoned on the back.

In 2013, Lyden-Smith also gave Pope Francis a shirt, saying: "He took it and we were playing Newcastle a few days later and we won."

"Pope Leo did say that he would be praying for the team as they started their European campaign so let's see what happens," he said.

Wednesday night's match against AZ Alkmaar is the Black Cats' first European game in 53 years.

"I think every Pope deserves a Sunderland strip so I took it out this week and presented it to him today," said Lyden-Smith.

He said the pontiff was "very nice, American of course, so it's nice to be able to speak in English with the Pope.

"The last Pope had broken English, but yeah, it was great, lovely man, warm, very down to earth, very grounded and just a really nice man as you'd expect."

However, Lyden-Smith said he accidentally got him a size too small.

"You never know, he might wear it for a pyjama top rather than out in the Vatican," he said.

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